The Easter Season is off and running--or I supposed we could say off and hopping!—for the next fifty days. There are lots of people to thank for their hard work to make the beginning of Easter sweet as a chocolate bunny!
For example, Fr. Dave our Director of Worship and Cari Craver who is our Adult Initiation Coordinator (RCIA/OCIA), as well as our music directors, worked tirelessly to plan great liturgies for us. I know for a fact that our liturgies went through several iterations of planning and consultation.
Office staff ordered flowers, prepared programs, squared away congregational candles and arranged any number of unseen details. Mass ministers, including lectors, cantors and altar servers attended practices and prepared personally. Meg Anderson and countless generous parishioners, many of whom were parish leaders such as pastoral council members, as well as several staff members, made meticulous plans to greet, welcome and give Easter gifts.
Less Work Not More
One refrain I heard much during Holy Week is “This is a very busy time for you, Fr. Pat.” Indeed, it is a busy time for priests. However, don’t tell anyone, but when we have families of parishes working together, there is actually less work for priests!
For example, in year’s past, when Fr. Jerry, Fr. Dave and I would have been assigned one parish, we all would have presided at all the liturgies of Holy Week. However, with a family of parishes, we can divide up the work. Also, with fewer major liturgies, there is less work for parish staff, ministers and greeters.
Big Sacrifices and Real Work
At the same time, even as there was less work due to combined liturgies, the work for God’s people is the real work because it aligns powerfully with the paschal mystery (the suffering, death and resurrection) of Jesus. I’m talking about the sacrifice, suffering, dying and rising involved in five parishes becoming one! For example, no parishioners are able to celebrate every Holy Week liturgy in their church building, in the same way we are used to and love.
These are huge sacrifices and I am proud of the Crescent Parishioners who are on board with the essential belief of our Catholic Faith: that it is in dying that we rise to new life. This is the essence of Beacons of Light and our timeless calling is Jesus, dying to ourselves and the familiar, to become something new and unforeseen. This is the Resurrection promised by Beacons of Light.
Vision Statement and Parish Naming
Recently, Parish Leadership Team (PLT) member, Bill Lennard, reported in the bulletin about the two projects he is leading: 1.) Our new parish vision statement and 2.) The naming of our parish. Let me offer a brief report on those projects.
Over the past two weeks Bill presented a couple drafts of our vision statement to PLT and to pastoral councils, always proud of the work the vision statement team has done! I was impressed with the team’s first drafts and they get even better! Once a final draft is complete it will be disseminated more widely for others to comment.
The parish naming committee convened for the first time this past Wednesday. The members of the committee are Bernie Young, COR; Ted Reilly, Holy Trinity; Patti Newberry, Nativity; Catherine Reutter, St. John and Joe Schnelle St. Saviour, who is the chairperson of the committee. Be watching the bulletin for updates regarding progress for the naming of our new parish, particularly for opportunities where they will be asking for input from all parishioners!
Leadership Discernment Process
Please see page 7 of the bulletin for an opportunity to nominate a fellow parishioner for leadership positions in parish life or see the homepage on our website.
We have great leaders in parish life and we want to ensure that we continue to have great leaders in the future. Thanks to parishioners who offer names of great leaders. Some of the qualifications for good leaders in our day and age include.
Someone who knows and loves Jesus and his body, the Church, and practices their faith without fail in our parishes.
A person who is wise, with gifts to listen carefully and knows what is going on in parish life by, for example, reading the bulletin each week.
Someone who, while they love their own parish, is aware of the important calling of Beacons of Light and is unafraid to lead courageously.
A person who is open-minded, creative, visionary and prophetic.
Someone who understands that the role of a leader is not to further their own opinions or preferences, but rather is a person who hears and discerns Jesus’ voice in feedback from fellow parishioners.